GNU bug report logs - #13771
GNU make specific stuff cannot be used in RHS of "TESTS ="

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Message #8 received at 13771 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: Daiki Ueno <ueno <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 13771 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13771: make functions cannot be used in RHS of "TESTS ="
Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:20:56 +0100

severity 13771 wishlist
stop

Hi Daiki, sorry for the delay.

On 02/20/2013 10:27 AM, Daiki Ueno wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I noticed that some modules are using make functions to assign values to
> TESTS.  For example, I found the following in my GNOME jhbuild checkout:
> 
> TESTS = $(filter-out fake-tp-backend individual-zeitgeist,$(noinst_PROGRAMS))
> TESTS = $(sort $(tests))
> 
> These cause warnings like:
> 
> Makefile.am:2: warning: sort $(tests: non-POSIX variable name
> Makefile.am:2: (probably a GNU make extension)
> 
> and also generate the following rule in Makefile.in, which seems
> apparently wrong:
> 
> $(sort.log: $(sort
>         @p='$(sort'; \
>         b='$(sort'; \
>         $(am__check_pre) $(LOG_DRIVER) --test-name "$$f" \
>         --log-file $$b.log --trs-file $$b.trs \
>         $(am__common_driver_flags) $(AM_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) $(LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS) -- $(LOG_COMPILE) \
>         "$$tst" $(AM_TESTS_FD_REDIRECT)
> 
> Shall it be fixed in Makefile.am or Automake?
>
This is actually a long-standing (and probably not easily lifted) Automake
limitation, due to the need to perform $(EXEEXT) appending to entries in
the $(PROGRAMS) primary (and consequently in the $(TESTS) variable too,
since that can contain programs).  I won't object to a patch that tries to
mitigate the issue, but given how old this limitation is, I won't attempt
it myself anytime soon.

In the meantime, I see two solutions:

   * Don't use make functions in the TESTS definition; this might not be
     trivial in general situations, but seems pretty easy in your setup
     above -- instead of having:

         noinst_PROGRAMS = foo bar qux zap
         TESTS = $(filter-out foo bar,$(noinst_PROGRAMS))

     use:

         test_progs = foo bar
         noinst_PROGRAMS = $(test_progs) qux zap
         TESTS = $(test_progs)

    And no need to $(sort) the TESTS -- since you are using the parallel
    driver, they should be able to run in any order anyway.

  * If you only care for the package to build for UNIX (and not for Cygwin
    or MinGW), you can do away with the $(EXEEXT) rewrite machinery by
    using the 'no-exeext' Automake option.

HTH,
  Stefano

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